Furniture.



No. 65l,228. Patented lune 5,v |900. G. A. BOWEN.

FURNITURE.

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(Apphc on led Jan. 16, 1900 unmnmlmmf (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

nuuniillll' FURNITURE. (Application med afm 1e. 1900.) (No Mudel.)

- Patented June 5, [900. G. A.A BOWEN.

2 Sheets-Sheet A2.

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m *gm* I UNiTEn STATES PATENT OEEicE.

GEORGE A. BOWEN,OF MEDINA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- ll/IENTS, TO S. A. 000K du OO., OF SAME PLACE.

FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 651,228, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial. No. 1,620. (No model.)

1'0 @ZZ whom t rrr/ay concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE A. BOWEN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Medina, in the county of Orleans and State of New 5 York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture, of which the fol-v nected or hinged parts of the article of furni-y ture to which the invention is applied may be held in the different positions to which it is desirable to adjust the parts and whereby the said parts may be adjusted from one po- 2o sition to another Without it being necessary to have direct access to the means which hold them in the desired positions of adjustment.

For a better understanding of my invention I have shown'it applied to two different z 5 articles of furniture, the first article being a sofa-bedstead and the other a sofa or couch having a swinging head-rest.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a sofa-bedstead embodying my irnprovemeuts, taken on the line l l of Fig. 2, the parts being in position to constitute a sofa. Fig. 2 is a top plan View, partly in section,of the article when the parts are arranged in position to constitute a bed, but one end of the article being shown. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of one form of a ratchet 'or catch plate constituting one feature of my invention. Fig. I is a vertical sectional view of a sofa having a swinging 4o headpiece to which my invention is applied. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of one end of the same. enlarged, of the catch or ratchet plate shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a top plan View, en larged, of aratchet-plate and pawlembodying certain features of construction not shown in the other views.

The sofa-bedstead illustrated in Figs. l and 2 is in its main features of construction of a 5o type well known. Referring to these views,

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective View,

1 designates the end pieces of the stationary frame, and 2 the base. In the end pieces there are formed two grooves, a verticallydisposed groove 3 near the rear edge and a horizontally-disposed groovel in the lower forward portion of the end pieces. The sliding or movable sections 5 and 6 are hinged together at 7 and are .arranged between the end pieces l and above the base-frame 2. They`are suitably upholstered, though. the 6o upholstery is not represented in the drawings for the sake ot' clearness, andthe section 6 constitutes the upright back when the parts are arranged to form a sofa, and the forward section 5 constitutes the seat. When 65 t-he parts are arranged to serve as a bed, as shown in Fig. 2, the sect-ion 5 is slid forward, and the section 6 is slid downward and-into a horizontal position in rear of the section 5, as is common in this type of bed and need 7o not be described in detail. The rear section 6 is provided at its opposite ends with studs or pins 8, arranged so as to move in the grooves 3, and the lower or forward section 5 is likewise provided with studs or pins 9, adapted to move in the grooves 4:. These studs, vin connection with the grooves in which they move, serve to give proper direction to the sections when moved from one position to another. 8o

In furniture of this type it is desirable that provision should be made for holding the two upholster'y-carryin g sections 5 and securely in the relative position which they should occupy in order to constitute a sofa and also for so uniting them that the two sections may be easily shifted from the position shown in` Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. l, and I will now describe the means which I have invented for .so uniting these two sections. 9o

l0 represents a pawl or catch loosely pivoted, as at 11, to one of the sections, preferably the Vupper one. The outer curved end 9' of this pawl is adapted to engage with a catch or ratchet plate or member l2, secured to the other section 5. I prefer that there should be one of the pawls l0 at each end of the section and of course a catch-piece for each pawl to engage with. I prefer that the catch-plates 12 should be arranged close to roo the end pieces 13 of the section 5 and that the pawls should extend through openings 12 in the rear frame-piece 14 of the section.

In using my invention in connection with a sofa-bed I prefer to employ the form of catch or ratchet piece represented in Fig. 3. consists of a plate or base adapted to be sccured to a suitable part of the movable section,such plate or base-piece beingsurrounded bya circumferentialflange 15. 1G represents a flange or rib which is arranged substantially midway between and parallel with the opposite sides of the peripheral flange 15 and which operates to divide the catch or ratchet piece into two tracks 17 and 1S. The 'fiange 16 is not so long as the base-plate and is so disposed that there are crossways 19 and 2O between the tracks at the opposite ends of the flange. The bent or free engaging end of the pawl 10 is arranged to move in the tracks and ways just referred to, the walls or flanges 15 and 1b confining the pawl and directing its movement. -The wall or iiange 15 may be cut away at one end, as represented at 21, to permit free engagement ot' 'the pawl with the ratchet or catch piece, if this be found dcsirable.4 Near one end of one of the tracks 18 there is formed a shoulder 22, with which the end of the pawl 10 is adapted to engage when the parts are iu the position represented in Fig. 1. For the sake of convenience in description I will term that end of the ratchet or catch piece which is nearest the shoulder 22 as the rear end, the opposite end being of course the forward or front end. The bottom or floor of the way 1S gradually inclines upward from front to rear in order that the pawl may easily ride over the projection 22 and fall behind the same. The way 2O leading from the track 18 behind the shoulder 22 to the track 17 inclines downward and the way 19 leading from the track 17 to the track 18A racross from one track to the other if force be applied to the pawl to push or thrust its nose or end against such inclined iiange or wall.

As has been stated, when the parts are in the position as represented in Fig. l-that is to say, with the two sections 5 and G at substantially rightangles to each other-the end or nose of the pawl lies behind the shoulder 22. There is thus constituted a lock for holding the parts in this position, the position they have when the article is serving as a sofa, for it is evident that any movement of the parts tends to carry them from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 would result in moving the pawls forward, and such movement is resisted by the shoulders 22. Vhen, however, it is desired to shift Itl the parts and move them into the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to constitute a bed or couch, it is only necessary to lift the forward edge of the lower section a little. This movement will cause the pawls to move backward in the track 18 beyond the ends of the midrib 16 and upon the inclined ways 20, andas soon as this occurs the ends of the pawl will slide down the ways 20 and into the tracks 17, this lateral movement of the pawls being permitted by reason of their being loosely pivoted or mounted at 1l. The pawls now being in the tracks 17, which are free from their rear to their forward ends, the sections may be moved into the position shown in Fig. 2.

Just before the parts reach the position indicated in this view the ends of the pawls pass from the tracks 17 beyond the ends of the mid-rib 1G and onto the ways 19, down which they slide into the track 1S, as represented in Fig. 2. When it is desired to fold up the parts, shifting them from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to lift the forward end ofthe front section 5 untilthe two sections assume a position substantially at right angles to each other, when the pawls will have moved rearward to a position behind the shoulders The sections heilig then locked together, they may be moved into the Fig. 1 position by simply pressing down and backward upon th front edge of the lower section.

23 indicates a spring connection between the rear portion of the bottom frame 2 and the lower or front piece of the upper frame. This part operates when this section is being lowered to prevent it from falling to its lower 'position with undue violence and also assists in restoring the parts to their folded position.

24 represents a sliding pin preferably mounted in the upper portion of the sliding section 6 and so arranged that when the parts are in position to constitute a sofa it may be moved so as to engage with the groove 3. It thus serves as a lock to prevent shifting of the parts so long asitremainsin engagement with the slot or groove 3.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 6, where my invention is represented as being applied to a sofa or couch having a swinging headpiece, 5 represents the main or body portion of the couch, and 6 the swinging head-section. These .two portions are united by suitable hinge connections 7. Arranged between the main frame portion ofthe couch and the headsection are the paw1-andratchet parts, sub` 'stantially similar to the parts which have before been described as arranged between the sections 5 and 6 of the sofa-bed. 10 designates the pawl, pivotally connected at 11 with the swinging head-section of the couch. 12 designates the ratchet or catch device. Referring particularly to Fig. 6, it will be observed that this part consists of a plate adapted to be secured to a suitable part of the frame of the couch, havinga circumferential fiange 15 and a mid-rib or flange 1G, on either side of IOO the head-section to as many different angles as there are ratchet-tecth with which the pawls may engage.

It will be seen that the pawls' automatically shift from one track to the other by gravity as the sections are moved from one extreme of movement or position to the other. Should it be found desirable, however, to supplement the action of gravity in causing the pawl to move fromthe track 18 to the track 17, I may employ a spring, such as 26, Fig. 7. This, however, would not usually be necessary.

It is sometimes desirable in articles of the character such as I have described to be able to adjust the parts without first moving them to an extreme position. Supposing the headsection of the couch to have been given buta slight inclination as by reason of the engagement of the pawls with the foremost ratchetteeth, it may be desirable to restore it to a horizontal position without first increasing its inclination. To permit this, I provide means whereby the pawl may be operated by hand from the side of the couch. 27 is a rod connected with the pawl and extending outward to one side of the couch, where it is provided with a handpiece 28. By lifting the pawl so as to clear the ratchet-teeth 25 the head-section Gl may be lowered from any position.

Where a pawl-and-ratchet device such as'I have described is provided at each side of the couch, which is the preferred arrangement, the rod 27 should extend across the couch so as to unite the two pawls that they may be operated simultaneously.

The connecting hinge-pieces 7,which unite the parts 5 and 6', may be provided with stoplugs arranged to prevent the swinging section from being turned to too great an angle relative to the main portion ofthe couch. I thus prevent danger of the pawls being carried backward so far as toentirel y disengage the catch or ratchet pieces 12.

It will be understood that I have represented the pawls and the ratchets with which they engage as being larger in proportion to the other parts shown than they are in actual practice. This has been done in order that the invention may be more clearly brought out in the drawings.

It will be observed that in both forms of the invention shown there are two portions or sections of furniture which are united by hinge connections and are adapted to move to change their angular relations to each other .and that there are combined with such furniture-sections means for holding the parts securely in a desired angular relation to each other without, however, preventing them from being moved into a position beyond the desired position, means for disengaging the said holding parts when the sections of the article of furniture are moved .beyond the desired position, means for maintaining the said holding parts disengaged while the sections of the article are being moved to a second desired position, and also means for bringing the holding parts into operative engagement when the sections of the article are being moved from their last said position to the first-referred-to position, and that these means operate automatically, so that they 'may be entirely concealed by the casing or framework of the article. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In furniture, the combination with two hinged parts or sections, of a pawl or catch carried by one of the parts, the said pawl having a certain amount of lateral movement, and a catch or ratchet plate carried by the other section provided with two tracks in one of which tracks is formed a projection with which the pawl is adapted to engage, and means for shifting the pawl laterally from one track to the other, substantially as set forth.

2. In furniture, the combination with two sections hinged together, of a pawl carried by one section and a horizontally-arranged catch or ratchet plate carried by the other, the said catch-plate being formed with two separated tracks arranged side by side in which the end of the pawl is arranged to move, crossoverways at the ends of the tracks inclining downward in opposite directions, and a projection with which the pawl engages near the rear end of one of the tracks, arranged a little in advance of the crossover-way at such end, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sofa-bed, the combination with a supporting-frame provided with the grooves 3 and 4, a section arranged to constitute the back of the sofa and another section hinged thereto arranged to constitute the seat of the sofa, studs carried by the said sections and arranged to travel in the said grooves, catch devices for holding the sections when in position to constitute a sofa and preventing them from changing their angular relations, and a sliding pin or stud 24 carried by the back-section and arranged to be moved into engagement with the groove 3 and thereby prevent the shifting of the parts or sections of the sofa-bed, substantially as set forth.

4.. 'Ihe combination, in furniture, with two sections hinged to each other, one of which is arranged to move relative to the other to change their angular relations, of a pawl having a certain amount of lateral movement carried by one of the parts or sections, and a IIO catch or ratchet plate carried by the other, the said ratchet-plate being formed with two longitudinal, separated, tracks in which the pawl is arranged to move, one of the tracks being provided with a series of projections with which the end of the paWl engages to hold the sections in different angular relations to each other, the ratchet-plate being also provided with an inclined crossover-way between the tracks in rear of the last of the said series of projections, and with another crossover-Way oppositely inclined to the said first-mentioned crossover-way and arranged in front of the series of projections, snbstan tially as set forth.

5. In furniture, the combination with two sections hinged together, of a paivl carried by one of the sections and a horizontal catch or ratchet plate carried by the other, the said catch-plate being formed with two separate tracks arranged side by side in which the end of the pawl is arranged to move, crossoverformed with two separated tracks in whichl the end of the pawl is arranged to move, crossover-Ways at the ends of the tracks, a fixed separating rib or liange between the tracks, and a projection with which the pawl engages near the rear end of one of the tracks, snbstantially as set forth.

GEORGE A. BOWEN.

Witnesses: 4 F. lvl. TINKHAM, MYRON A. Pos'r. 

